ACCU conducted Training Courses for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage three times between 2007 and 2009, as human resource training for countries in Asia and the Pacific, which had not yet have well established mechanisms for safeguarding of ICH.

The Training Courses consisted of series of lectures about Japan’s ICH safeguarding programmes and experience over 50 years which were given by the Japanese Cooperating Organisations.  In addition to the lectures, the participants visited and observed local governments’ programmes and the local people’s activities about safeguarding of ICH during the courses.

ACCU invited administrative officials and experts from countries in Asia and the Pacific which were members of ACCU’s ICH Network and had ratified the UNESCO’s 2003 Convention. Invited countries differed according to the themes of the training courses, as ACCU tried to involve as many countries as possible.